The President's FY 2002 budget for the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration zeros in on priority needs to ensure NOAA achieves peak effectiveness in its stewardship of our nation's precious natural resources, in its vital role in helping save lives through severe weather prediction, and in advancing our understanding of the climate.

NOAA will be funded at $3.1 billion – 50 percent more funds than just five years ago -- under the President's FY 2002 budget. Targeted programs receive boosts of $330 million, while duplicative programs are trimmed.

Ensuring coastal natural resources continue to thrive

• Funds for coastal conservation programs increase by $3.4 million over the current year, to $284.4 million. Funds are trimmed from the National Estuarine Research Reserves, and from grant programs that overlap the Coastal Zone Management program, while funding boosts include:
• Coastal Zone Management program receives a $12.2 million increase, including $8.6 million for Coastal Zone Management grants.
• National Marine Sanctuaries is slated for a $16.6 million increase, with $13 million devoted to construction.

Advancing severe weather prediction capabilities

• The President's budget for FY 2002 supports the development of better hurricane landfall prediction with a $2.2 million increase over the FY 2001 budget for the U.S. Weather Research Program. Enhancements will help pinpoint areas recommended for evacuation during powerful hurricanes, saving lives while at the same time helping localities that lay out of the danger zone to avoid the millions of dollars in costs associated with unnecessary storm preparations.
• A $4.7 million increase over last year is directed to assimilate data and modeling at the weather service's National Center for Environmental Prediction, which will also improve forecasting capabilities.

Streamlining satellite systems for long-term cost savings

• The President's budget provides $83.4 million in additional funds over FY 2001 for the National Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS), which is expected to reap $1.8 billion in savings over the long term. The system provides for the convergence of NOAA's Polar program, the Department of Defense's Defense Meteorological Satellite program and NASA's research and development into a single satellite system.

Advancing our understanding of climate

• Enhancements to NOAA's climate study efforts will be funded at $34.7 million, an increase of $16.5 million over the current year.

Modernizing and Infrastructure

• Increases of $143.8 million are provided in science, management and enforcement to modernize the National Marine Fisheries Service.
• An increase of $13.3 million is proposed to enhance safety and support of U.S. ports and the shipping industry.
• Investments of $133.3 million are provided in equipment, maintenance, construction, and must-pay bills to enable NOAA to maintain its science and services in the future.